Over the past several years, a group of citizens has been working to improve safety for children walking and biking to San Lorenzo Valley schools located along Highway 9 between Felton and Ben Lomond. This group has become the Felton Bike and Pedestrian Advocacy Group.
In addition to serving 1,700 students from pre-school through high school, the multi-school campus hosts the community swimming pool, performing arts center, ball fields, and other facilities. School driveways are located on Highway 9 and extensive morning and afternoon highway traffic jams result during student drop off and pick up. Bussing is unavailable for students who live within 2 miles of the school and unsafe conditions exist for pedestrians and bicyclists along Highway 9. There is no alternative transportation corridor to Highway 9 between population centers and the campuses.
The group has identified that adding sidewalks along a short section of Highway 9 would improve safety for pedestrians and reduce congestion by providing an alternative to short passenger car trips on Highway 9 to drop off and pick up students. More than 200 residents have signed petitions in support of the project. The group has also collaborated with the School Board, the Regional Transportation Commission, the County Department of Public Works, and local civic groups such as the Valley Women’s Club and the Rotary Club and discussed the project with staff of Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol. We look forward to continuing the collaborative process to improve conditions on the ground.